My birthday on the 9
thwas celebrated with a great home-made chocolate cake, made from really dark chocolate and we even had some long life cream on board. Caroline had done a superb job. It was so calm we were motoring and even stopped for a mid-Atlantic birthday swim. It was only 4000 metres deep, so not thinking too much about what might be lurking in the deep, Caroline and I dived in and swam three times round the boat. Steve and the crew member and friend Mike Boys managed a quick dip, Vivien said she would rather not. Shortly before this we got some discarded fishing gear wrapped round the propeller, an immediate loss of r.p.m and blue smoke. Luckily I had just purchased some diving gear in Las Palmas for just such an eventuality, so Steve, a really experienced diver, got kitted up and released the offending rope and plastic sack.
Luckily in the late afternoon the trade winds, we had waited so long for, started to blow. We were on our way sailing at last and at a reasonable speed. The trade winds increased and according to the forecast will keep blowing now all the way to St. Lucia. Thursday 12 December marked a milestone, less than 1000 miles to go. I caught a decent size tuna in the evening, enough for two meals for five persons.
Friday 13th and at the time of writing (21:30 UK time) we have just 756 miles to go. We have had some squalls in the late afternoon and evening and are well reefed in, but still making good progress. We are on the homeward run, estimating, all being well, arriving in St. Lucia, Wednesday 18th December, late afternoon. Just in time for the traditional rum punch sun-downer.